The holiday season is here (hooray!) and that means a plethora of social gatherings, along with the obligatory gift giving. The challenge of this time of year is how to make holiday parties a little more festive (read: exciting and actually fun) and your presents unique (read: unforgettable). No need to stress about any of this as adding a bottle of sparkling wine to the equation is always an excellent idea. However, let’s kick it up a notch from there. You buy your eggs from Boat Yard Farm, you get your carrots from Moors End Farm and you pick your own tomatoes at Bartlett Farm. Why not purchase, partake and give a little “Farmer Fizz” to showcase some quality producer grown and made Champagne along with supporting your local Champagne farmer? Known more commonly as Grower Champagne, these festive bottles of bubbly originate from the Champagne region of France as the name implies. What makes them stand out from mass...Read More >
BONUS WINE FEST EXCURSIONS TO EXPLORE With so many activities to choose from during Nantucket Wine Fest weekend, it is sometimes hard to narrow down your choices as to what events to attend. Pre-planning your weekend to best allocate your time is wise in order to maximize your total wine exposure. Here are a few highlights (and helpful hints) to ensure you make the most of it without overwhelming yourself or missing out on must-attend tastings. LUMINARIES POSING AS SOMMELIERS – THE FRIDAY NIGHT HUSSLE These distinguished luminaries may not be working floor Sommeliers in the real world, but they get to play the role during Wine Fest weekend on Nantucket! In order to add a little twist of the corkscrew to this weekend’s festivities, Proprietors Bar & Table, located in the heart of Nantucket’s downtown on India Street, annually invites a few of their wine friends to lend a hand during dinner service. There happen to be two honorees...Read More >
2016 has been quite the year for us here at Épernay Wine & Spirits. From stunning sunrises in ‘Sconset to stellar sunsets in Madaket, with lots of rosé, bubbles and cheese in between, we want to THANK YOU for your patronage and helping to make it such a successful year. Below is a list of our Top 10 Highlights for 2016. 1. All Signs Point to Épernay We love our brand new sign this year from our friend Bob and his team at Chatham Sign Shop in Chatham, MA! 2. “50 Shades of Rosé” Event Co-hosted by the Sommelier Team of Épernay Wine & Spirits and The Nantucket Culinary Center, production of this event was also in partnership with Sarah Cowherd of Bespoke SRC Events and Party Provisioning. This summer, we explored everything Rosé with this tasting of almost 50 rosé wines from around the world from different grape varietals and winemaking techniques. From pale pinot noir saignées to classic...Read More >
Christmas comes at the same time every year without fail. Even with this advance warning, however, par for the course for most of us elves is to wait last minute and scurry around to get a token gift for those who truly help make our life easier all year long. While the holiday season is prime time to give back to such superstars in our lives, it is important not to bust your budget by giving too much or feeling obligated to tip unnecessarily. Problem solved with this list of favorite gift worthy bottles for those special people you want to recognize as suggested by the Sommelier Team at Épernay Wine & Spirits. BONUS: Buy one bottle of each of these dozen wines listed below and get an additional +10% case discount! What this means for you -> a bigger bang for your holiday buck (and we promise not to tell anyone if you decide to keep a bottle or...Read More >